Meghan Boone

I grew up as an expat and farm kid, an uncommon combination that as an adult I am grateful for. It taught me that being grounded and flexible are not mutually exclusive, and that home isn't a place but the people who fill it. For the first fourteen years of my life I grew up moving between Scotland and Azerbaijan. Two incredibly beautiful places in their own respects. However, I spent every summer and Christmas working on our family farm in Texas. Before starting secondary/high school my family moved back to the US and my oh my was American high school a culture shock. Somehow for better or worse I made it through with a few good friends and a supportive family. I earned my bachelor's degree from the University of Oklahoma in Health Sciences. After a few years working in healthcare I decided to go to grad school at The University of North Texas Health Science Center to earn a Master in Public Health. In graduate school I earned a dual concentration degree in Epidemiology and Environmental & Occupational Health & Safety. After graduating in 2018 I went to work for an energy company as a safety advisor. I am a fourth generation energy sector worker in my family, but the first woman. It was in graduate school where I connected with my mentor and friend Dr. Katherine Fogelberg, DVM, PhD (this is her 2nd TED Women's conference). Because of Katherine not only did I emotionally survive grad school but she brought me into the Msomi team as a founding member. Three years later, I have been to Kenya twice and now manage our social media accounts. I've always loved photography and creating as an outlet to my very analytical day job. Volunteering for Msomi has been one of the greatest additions to my life and I am continually thankful to be a part of our Msomi family.

Women empowering women. Women leaders in male dominated industries showing younger generations that women have a place at every table. Ensuring underserved children, especially girls, have their needs met so they can thrive in and out of the classroom. Women's health, I am an endometriosis and adenomyosis warrior. Endometriosis impacts 1 in 10 women and takes on average 10 years to clinically diagnose... there is something very wrong with that. I had the disease for approximately 15+ years before I was officially diagnosed in 2020. There is an abundance of misinformation surrounding women's health, and women are suffering needlessly because of it. Nature, I love nature, hiking, camping, picking up other people's trash, animals and farming. The outdoors is my ultimate happy place mountains, plains or seaside I don't care. It's so important to protect natural spaces and wild places. Our family is in the process of transitioning our ranch into a regenerative operation so we can play a small part in healing our earth.

Msomi Academy for Girls - educated women can change the world, we know it in our souls and there are plenty of statistics to back it up. The vision of Msomi is to create equitable access to sustainable, high-quality education for girls by partnering with communities. Because when communities prioritize women's education, they thrive.

Adenomyosis, Being an Expat, Endometriosis, Environmental Health & Safety, Farming, Industrial Hygiene, Occupational Health, Professional learner, Ranching, Safety

Singing, I love to sing but get terribly nervous no how many time I perform.